Automatic piano.



F. R. GOOLMAN.

AUTOMAHC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1915.

1 1 99 69 1 Patented Sept. 2%},

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Wdmaowo F. R. GOOLMAN.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED I11AY13,1915.

PatentedSepi/i 26, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

PatentedSept.26,l9l6.

F. R. GOOLMAN.

AUTOMAHC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, I915- amvwttoz GHQ-pump Q D him ass as Q, MM

F. R. GOOLMAN,

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY13. m5.

PatentedSe-pt. 26, 1916.

4'SHEETS-SHEET 4.

w vtmaooao v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED R. GOOLMA'N, 0F BINGI-IAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD 'I'O HARRY C. I-IAGGERTY AND TVO-TI-IIRDS TO GEORGE N. BACON, BOTH OF ENDICOTT, NEW

YORK.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED It. GooLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pianos; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates broadly to improvements in player or automatic pianos and more particularly to those of the electro pneumatic type.

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this class so constructed as to allow any one of a number of selections to be played at will, means being provided whereby such selections may be under the control of a single operator, through the instrumentality of a keyboard, which latter may be disposed at any appropriate point. If the improved instrument is to be applied to use in a moving picture theater, the keyboard thereof is preferably disposed adjacent the projecting machine, whereby the operator thereof may control the selections played by the instrument, to accord with the style of picture being displayed.

W ith this general object in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in combinations hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In describing the invention, I shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the number of note-sounding units disposed contiguous to the obverse face of the attaching plate to be described; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the arrangement of arts adjacent the reverse side of said at taching plate; Fig 3 is a vertical transverse section as seen on'the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing one of the shiftable brackets in lowered inactive position; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the bracket disposed to its uppermost active position; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section as seen along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Figs. Gang are respectively perspective views of the shiftable and rigid brackets; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the locking bolts; Fig. 9 is yet another perspective of one of the bracket bars to be described; Fig. 10 is a detail vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 1010 of Fig. 5 and showing more particularly the construction of the pneumatics, and Fig. 11 is a detail transverse section through one of the tracker bars showing the parts coacting therewith in elevation.

In these drawings, constituting a part of the application, the numeral 1 designates a horizontally elongated upstanding attaching plate adapted to be suitably positioned in the instrument case (not shown). Disposed adjacent the obverse face of this plate 1, is a plurality of note-sounding units U, while disposed contiguous to the reverse side of said plate are the numerous mechanisms for controlling such units, one of these mechanisms being disposed opposite each unit as. is evident from the drawings.

The units U comprise upright brackets 2 which are secured to the plate 1, additional brackets 3 mounted for vertical movement upon the brackets 2, sheet-carrying rollers a rotatably mounted upon the brackets 3 and moved thereby toward and away from the tracker-bar 5, which latter may be constructed for use on an instrument operated totally by pneumatic means, or may ca my a number of circuit closing fingers 6 for completing the electric circuit of key-operating members yet to be described.

In addition to the parts so far briefly described, the units U include the usual perforated music sheets 7 looped over the rollers l, depending therefrom and supporting in their lowermost loops weighted rollers 8 having flanges 9 on their opposite ends receiving therebetween the edges of said sheets as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and a. By this means, the several sheets 7 are tightly stretched over the rollers 4; at all times and a circumferentially extending series of teeth 10 with which the centers of said rollers a are provided, are retained at all times within central rows of perforations 11 with which said sheets are provided. Needless to say, the teeth 10 traveling in the openings 1.1 prevent the sheets 7 from slipping on the feed rollers a.

Gne end of each roller a carries a clutch eleme t 12 th arm c a s hi h,

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

when the bracket 3 is lowered, disengages an additional and rotated clutch element 13 disposed adjacent the tracker-bar 5, but engages said element 13 when said bracket 3 is projected toward the tracker-bar 5 to present the perforated music sheet 7 t0 the circuit closing fingers 6 thereof. The element 13 is here also shown in the form of a gear, but it will be evident that both clutch elements 12 and 13 could be of any preferred design.

The several elemen s 13 are carried by shafts 14 which project therefrom through the plate 1 and through upright bracket bars 15 having their upper ends bent inwardly and upwardly and secured by any preferred means to the upper edge of said plate, these bars 15 likewise having bearing arms 16 which extend inwardly from their intermediate portions to the plate 1 to which they are secured by screws or the like, the arms 16 being provided for the support of a longitudinally disposed driven shaft 17 having thereon a plurality of worms 18 intermeshed with worm gears 19 fast on the shafts 14. Thus it will be evident, that as the single shaft 17 is rotated by any preferred means (not shown), the elements 13 will be driven at uniform speeds, thereby being always in readiness to rotate the rollers 4 when the elements 12 are raised to active position.

For the purpose of retaining the several brackets 3 in their uppermost and active positions, a plurality of bracket locks in the form of bolts 20 sliding through openings in the plate 1 is provided, said bolts being also extended through openings in the lower ends of the bracket bars 15, beyond which ends they project as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the projecting portions of said bolts being disposed in contact with any appro priate type of springs 21 normally exerting their stress to project the bolts 20 beneath appropriate parts of the brackets 3, thus preventing downward movement thereof until said bolts are again retracted. For this purpose, an electrically operated rock shaft 22 is preferably disposed longitudinally beneath the several bolts 20 at the reverse side of the plate 1, this rock shaft being provided with a plurality of upstanding arms 23 loosely connected at their upper ends to said bolts 20, while the central portion of said shaft is equipped with a rigid springraised operating arm 24 which is linked to an armature 25 to be drawn downwardly by the electro magnet 26, when the circuit of this magnet is completed by the proper key 27 on the switch-board 28 which, as hereinbefore stated, may be disposed at any preferred point either adjacent or remote from the instrument.

*---. For the purpose of raising the brackets 3 to present the sheets 7 to the several trackerbars 5, levers 29 are preferably fulcrumed at one end to the brackets 2, while their other ends are disposed above projections carried by the movable halves of pneumatics 30, thrust rods 31 being interposed between the intermediate portions of the levers 29 and the upper ends of the brackets 3 as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. By this means, it will be evident that the collapse of any one of the pneumatics will raise its respective bracket 3, thus presenting one of the sheets 7 to its tracker-bar 5 and thereby causing the instrument to render the musical selection represented by this sheet.

Although the brackets hereinbefore described may be of any preferred formation,

those indicated at 2 are preferably in the form of upright substantially rectangular plates having laterally bent upright attaching flanges 32 on their rear edges secured to the plate 1, while their upper edges are bent laterally to provide horizontally disposed flanges 33 through openings in which the upright thrust rods 31 slide, said rods abutting the horizontal cross bars 34 of forks carried by the brackets 3, the latter being in the form of upright flat plates disposed in contact with the plates of the brackets 2 and having their upper edges bent laterally above the flanges 33 to provide the cross bars 34, the free ends of the latter being in turn bent upwardly to form bearing posts between which the rollers 4 are rotatably mounted. In order to slidably connect the plates of the two brackets 2 and. 3, one of said plates is slotted vertically as shown at 36, while the other is provided with screws or the like 37 received by the slots 36. This construction of the brackets 2 and 3 is preferable, although not necessarily essential, since it is very simple and inexpensive, yet is highly elficient in operation.

The several pneumatics 30 comprise the fixed halves 40 which are secured by brackets or the like 41 to the reverse face of the plate 1 at the lower edge thereof, and the movable halves which operate the levers 29 in the manner previously described. Carried by each fixed half 40, is a casing 42 having in its inner side a cavity 43 from which a port 44 leads into the interior of the pneumatic, while an additional port 45 leads outwardly from said cavity to the open air, the two ports 44 and 45 being disposed out of alinement as clearly shown in Fig. 10. Alined with the port 45 and formed partly within the fixed half 40 of the pneumatic and partly within the casing 42, is an additional port 46, suction being created within this port 46 through a tube 47 leading to any appropriate air exhausting means (not shown). The inner end of the port 46 alined with the port 45, is normally closed by a valve 48 having a stem projecting outwardly through the port 45 and loosely connected to any preferred type of lever .49 having at one end an armature to be attracted by an electro magnet 50 when the proper key 27 is depressed. When this action takes place, the valve 48 allows the ports 46 and 4A to communicate through the cavity 48, but closes the port 45, it being thus evident that the pneumatic 30 will be collapsed upon depression of its respective operating key. For the sake of identification, these keys may be numbered as shown on the drawings, or may be provided with other appropriate means for this purpose.

It may here be explained that the type of pneumatic just described is not only employed for the purpose of shifting the brackets 3, but for actuating the hammers H of the instrument, as seen in diagram in Fig. 11. The circuits of the magnets 50 of the hammer-actuating pneumatics, are closed and broken by the contact fingers 6 projecting through the perforations in the sheets 7 and contacting with the rollers i with which one wire of these circuits has electrical connection in any preferred manner, while the other wires 60 of such circuits are secured to binding posts 60 which are disposed in upright openings carried by the slotted tracker-bars 5, the lower sides of these bars being provided with a plurality of transverse cavities 61 into which the binding posts 60 project and in which the individual fingers are mounted for vertical oscillation. In order to positively yet remova-loly secure the several fingers 6 within the cavities 61, and at the same time to electrically connect said fingers with the binding posts 60, the under sides of said fingers, at their rear ends, are notched as at 62, these notches receiving a bar 63 which extends longitudinally beneath each tracker-bar 5, flat leaf springs 64 being secured at one end to the rear ends of the fingers 6 and having their opposite ends disposed in contact with the exposed inner ends of the posts 60. Thus it will be seen that the springs 6 L exert their stress to force the fingers 6 toward the stop bars 63, thus retaining these bars within the notches 62 and preventing removal of the fingers 6. When it is necessary to remove these fingers, however, it is simply necessary to raise the same after which. they may be shifted endwise from the cavities 61. Needless to say, when the fingers 6 and their springs 64 are in position upon the tracker-bars 5, said springs serve as electrical connectors between the fingers and the binding posts 60, as well as means for preventing the removal of the fingers and means for normally forcing said fingers downwardly into contact with the music sheets 7 Y An instrument constructed in accordance with the preceding description and the accompanying illustration wi l operate as fc1- lows: The vacuum pump and the shaft 17 are first set in motion by any preferred means, the former now exhausting the air from the several tubes a7 leading not only to the pneumatics 30, but to the hammer actuating pneumatics (not shown). The operator of the machine now depresses the correct button 2'7 on the switch board 28 and thereby opens a valve 48, thus allowing the selected pneumatic 30 to be collapsed, thereby raising its respective lever 29, the rod 31 rising therefrom, and the bracket 3 resting on said rod, the result being that the roller f r carried by the selected bracket 3 will be shifted upwardly, thus presenting its respective sheet for contact with the fingers 6 of the adjacent tracker-bar 5. Simultaneously with this operation, the clutch elements 12 and 13 of the selected unit are interengaged, thus driving the roller 4: thereof and setting the sheet 7 in motion, such clutch elements being now retained in engagement, by the bolt 20 which in the meantime has been projected by its spring 21. In the present case, these bolts are extended directly below the cross bars 34 of the forks carried by the brackets 3, but it will be evident that they might well engage other parts of such brackets.

As the several fingers 6 are now forced through the perforations in the active music sheet 7, into contact with the roller 4, the circuits of the several hammer actuating pneumatics are completed, thus causing the notes selected by the sheet 7 to be sounded. i i.

It will be evident that although in the present application the circuit closing fingers 6 are shown for the purpose of actuating the valves of the hammer operating pneumatics,

the common type of perforated tracker-bar 1' might well be employed, provided other necessary alterations be made.

From the fore oing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be evident that although very F I simple construction has been provided for producing the desired end, the complete instrument will be very efficient in operation and will possess a number of highly ad vantageous features. Particular emphasis is laid upon the provision of the several note-sounding units, each including the relatively fixed member (the tracker-bar 5), and the note selector (the sheet 7) movable toward and away from said relatively fixed member, set in motion upon projection toward said member and locked against receding movement therefrom. The construction, however, of the locking and releasing mechanism, that of the pneumatics and of the circuit closing members, the provision of the weighted rollers S, and in fact, the general construction of the entire device, are considered salient fQatHlGS as pointed out in the append d slaiin the drawings, 1 have shown certain specific details of construction for producing probably the best results, and in the foregoing have specifically described such details, but it will be evident that I need not be limited thereto otherwise than to the extent to which the following, which I claim as my invention, limit me:

1. An automatic piano, comprising a plurality of tracker-bars, an equal plurality of sheet carriers each movable toward and away from its respective bars and adapted to carry different and independent music sheets, means operable from a remote point for moving the sheet carriers toward their respective tracker-bars, a plurality of locks for holding the sheet carriers against retrograde movement when said carriers are moved toward the tracker-bars, and additional means operable from the aforesaid point for releasing said looks at will.

2. An automatic piano,comprising an upstanding supporting plate, a plurality of upright brackets secured to one side thereof and extending laterally therefrom, a plurality of trackerbars secured to the plate and disposed one above each bracket, a plurality of vertically movable brackets carried one by each of the aforesaid brackets, a plurality of sheet carrying rollers mounted one on each vertically movable bracket and disposed horizontally one beneath each trackerbar, gears carried by one end of said rollers, additional and driven gears revolubly carried by the supporting plate and positioned one above each of the aforesaid gears, whereby the latter may intermesh with said driven gears when the movable brackets are raised to engage the rollers with the tracker-bars, means for raising the vertically movable brackets, and releasable means for holding them in raised position.

3. An automatic piano, comprising an up standing supporting plate, a plurality of parallel horizontally spaced horizontal tracker-bars projecting laterally from one side of said plate, an equal plurality of vertically movable brackets carried by the plate, horizontally disposed sheet-carrying rollers carried by said brackets and disposed one beneath each trackerbar, means for raising the brackets at will, means for driving the rollers when the brackets are raised, a plurality of horizontal locking bolts slidable through the supporting plate, springs for projecting said bolts to lock the brackets against downward movement when raised, ahorizontal rock shaft adjacent and extending transversely of the locking bolts, rigid crank arms projecting from said rock shaft and having sliding connections with the bolts, and means for rocking said shaft at will to release any bolt which may be projected.

4. An automatic piano, comprising an upstanding supporting plate, a plurality of parallel horizontally spaced horizontal tracker-bars projecting laterally from one side of said plate and secured at one end thereto, a driven gear adjacent the inner end of each tracker-bar, a horizontal sheet carrying roller beneath each of said bars and having a gear on one end for engagement with the aforesaid gears, means for raising said rollers, and releasable means for preventing downward movement thereof when raised.

5. An automatic piano, comprising an upstanding supporting plate, a plurality of upright bracket plates spaced horizontally from each other and secured at one edge to said supporting plate, guides on the upper edges of said plates, horizontal levers fulcrumed one to the lower end of each plate, upright rods rising from the levers through the guides and projecting above the bracket plates, additional bracket plates having sliding connections with the aforesaid plates and supported on the upper ends of the rods, horizontally positioned sheet-carrying rollers carried one by each movable bracket plate, tracker-bars carried by the supporting plate and positioned one above each roller, means for operating the levers at will to raise the movable brackets and the rollers, means for driving said rollers when raised, and releasable means for preventing downward movement of the aforesaid movable brackets when raised.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED R. GOOLMAN.

Witnesses:

L. M. TWINING, HARRIETTE ECKMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

